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en-usCopyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/watch-this-space-epic-games-plans-to-double-in-size/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/watch-this-space-epic-games-plans-to-double-in-size/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/14/watch-this-space-epic-games-plans-to-double-in-size/#commentsFiled under: PC, Business

Having tired of rubbing actual elbows with fellow teammates, Epic Games' always verbose VP Mark Rein has confessed that he and his squad of developers have "pretty much run out of space" in the company's North Carolina base of operations, and that plans are well underway for an expansion to "at least" double the facility's current size. According to a report by North Carolina's News Observer, the devs coughed up a cool $1.57 million for the new office space, which will be positioned on a five-acre lot adjacent to Epic's current 31,000-square foot HQ.

Headcount at Epic currently stands at 94, with current growth of around one new employee a month expected to continue for the next couple of years. So with all of this added space, will the developers get to spread out, and maybe quit knocking over each others' Mt. Dew as they reach for their mouse? Unlikely, as the report notes that the new facility will instead be largely used to house the numerous play testers that visit Epic, rather than have to rent out space down the street. We understand the need completely, though until the devs get additional space of their own we'd suggest judicious application of lids.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gamesEpicGamesgears of warGearsOfWarmark reinMarkReinPCplay testPlayTestunrealUnreal Tournament 3UnrealTournament3ut3Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/17/gears-of-war-will-be-roadie-running-onto-macs/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/17/gears-of-war-will-be-roadie-running-onto-macs/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/17/gears-of-war-will-be-roadie-running-onto-macs/#commentsWe thought we heard the extent of how far Gears of War was willing to stray from its Xbox 360 roots, but now we're hearing about an even further departure. In an interview with Game Head's Geoff Keighley, Mark Rein talked up Unreal Tournament 3 and Gears of War and accidentally let the news slip that both games were headed to the Mac platform. Rein confirmed Gears' Mac-bound status when answering Keighley stating that "yes, Gears is going to come to the Mac and so is UT". The news was not followed by a release date or how far in development the Mac versions are.

Anyone willing to bet that Gears Mac will have even more content than Gears PC all of which won't be available to 360 owners? Anyone? Nobody? Shucks ...

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleepicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowmacTue, 17 Jul 2007 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/13/new-gow-pc-content-not-coming-to-the-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/13/new-gow-pc-content-not-coming-to-the-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/13/new-gow-pc-content-not-coming-to-the-360/#commentsThe Advanced Media Network sat down with Epic's Mark Rein and Cliffy B to chat about their big E3 announcements and learned some sad news about the new Gears of War PC content. When questioned about whether or not the new campaign missions or multiplayer maps announced for the PC version would be headed to the Xbox 360, Rein said it was "unlikely [that] we will bring that content to 360". Cliffy B further emphasized their doubt by stating that "if we didn't have any sort of exclusive on the PC, why would people buy the PC version?". The Epic crew explained that bringing the PC content over to the 360 would be an extremely time consuming task and that they're currently focused on other projects like Unreal Tournament 3.

Being the Gears fan that I am it's hard to hear that new, exciting multiplayer AND campaign content will be available, but not for 360 owners. And no, there's no way I'm personally buying a beefy computer to run Gears of War PC just to experience the new content. No matter how you slice the news it sucks for 360 owners and Gears enthusiasts ... it's simple as that. Now, I'm going to go cry myself to sleep.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3e307epicepic gaemsepic gamesEpicGaemsEpicGamesgearsgears of wargears of war pcGearsOfWarGearsOfWarPcgowgow pcGowPcFri, 13 Jul 2007 12:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/11/epic-games-unreal-tournament-3-sign-exclusivity-deal-with-sony/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/11/epic-games-unreal-tournament-3-sign-exclusivity-deal-with-sony/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/11/epic-games-unreal-tournament-3-sign-exclusivity-deal-with-sony/#commentsRight alongside NC Soft, Epic signed a multi-stage exclusivity agreement with Sony to optimize use of the Unreal Engine 3 for the PS3. The big idea behind this was Unreal Tournament 3. Namely, making it a PS3 exclusive for this financial year. That's right -- the devs responsible for Cogs of Battle want to try their hand at making the PS3 the leading platform for their hot, hot, hotly anticipated UT3. What's really impressive about this announcement isn't necessarily the exclusivity agreement, but the fact Jack Tretton promised us the ability to bring user-created PC mods into the console version of the game via the PlayStation Network. Homebrew is happening, little by little, and we're very happy about that.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e307epic gamesEpicGamesplaystation 3Playstation3ps3sonyunreal tournament 3UnrealTournament3Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/11/unreal-tournament-3-to-be-timed-ps3-exclusive/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/11/unreal-tournament-3-to-be-timed-ps3-exclusive/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/11/unreal-tournament-3-to-be-timed-ps3-exclusive/#commentsSee the awesomeness that is the game trailer above? It's Unreal Tournament 3 and fellow Xbox 360 fanboys we'll have to wait a little longer than our PS3 brothers to play. Sony and Epic Games just announced that UT3 will be a timed exclusive for the PS3 platform which will launch this November. But the wait will be short lived, because the game will be available on the Xbox 360 platform early 2008. Epic is obviously feeling love from everyone this generation and it looks like Sony played the right hand this time. Sorry fanboys, this is one game the PS3 will get before us ... consider it a fluke.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3e307epicepic gamesEpicGamesmicrosoftplaystation 3Playstation3ps3sonyunreal tournament 3UnrealTournament3ut3Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/gears-of-war-pc-montage-video-leaked/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/gears-of-war-pc-montage-video-leaked/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/gears-of-war-pc-montage-video-leaked/#comments Looks like someone made a boo boo. Those silly cats over at GameVideos.com posted a video entitled "Gears of War PC 'E3 Action' montage" and quickly pulled it. But fret not fanboys, because Quellex saved the video and posted it on YouTube for everyone to enjoy. But before you take a look at this leaked Gears PC montage be warned that it may make your inner fanboy scream with anger and disgust. Why? Because the video showcases what looks to be not only new multiplayer maps and additional campaign missions, but it also showcases a boss battle with a Brumak. Yup, that same Brumak that didn't make it into the 360 version of Gears. Hopefully there's more to this story that'll come out of E3, something along the lines of all the new additional PC content being available for free to Xbox 360 owners. Otherwise we shun you Epic and your PC content ... we want to fight Brumaks too!

Update 1: We've removed our link to the YouTube video at GameVideos.com's request, but now that the giant cat Brumak's out of the bag, it's gonna be awfully tough to get him back in.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3e307epicepic gamesEpicGamesgears of warGearsOfWargowFri, 06 Jul 2007 20:35:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/cliffy-bs-adolescent-story-inspires-comedic-skit/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/cliffy-bs-adolescent-story-inspires-comedic-skit/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/cliffy-bs-adolescent-story-inspires-comedic-skit/#commentsWe knew Cliffy B liked the spotlight, but we didn't know he also enjoyed comedic improv. The other night, during a DSI Comedy Theatre performance in North Carolina, the improv crew invited Cliffy B on stage to tell of his childhood, his Nintendo roots, and how badass he thought the Nintendo Power Glove was back in the day. As expected, Cliff's storytelling is pretty darn good, but the improv crews' rendition of his story leaves us scratching our heads a little. No matter, it's Cliffy B taking the stage, so be amazed and give the storytelling and improv a watch. Video ever so conveniently embedded above.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliffy bCliffyBepicepic gamesEpicGamesgears of warGearsOfWarFri, 06 Jul 2007 16:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/gears-of-war-soundtrack-drops-july-31st/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/gears-of-war-soundtrack-drops-july-31st/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/06/gears-of-war-soundtrack-drops-july-31st/#commentsGears fanboys will be excited to know that the sweet, sweet sounds of our beloved Gears of War will soon be lovingly lasered onto a piece of media plastic. The official Gears of War Soundtrack was announced yesterday and will hit major retailers and be available online July 31st. The CD will feature 28 musical tracks that will chronologically take listeners through Gears' campaign and feature the Northwest Symphonia orchestra. Think of the soundtrack as a musical version of the whole "destroyed beauty" motif. Complete list of all 28 tracks are viewable after the break including our favorites "I Will Kryll You" and "Running With Boomers".

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cdepicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of wargears of war soundtrackGearsOfWarGearsOfWarSoundtrackgowgow soundtrackGowSoundtracksoundtrackFri, 06 Jul 2007 11:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/05/unreal-tournament-3-to-ship-with-dozens-of-maps/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/05/unreal-tournament-3-to-ship-with-dozens-of-maps/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/05/unreal-tournament-3-to-ship-with-dozens-of-maps/#commentsOver on Beyond Unreal, Death Booger mentions that August's OXM demo disc features a look at a few of the multiplayer maps that'll ship with Unreal Tournament 3. Among the pretty in-game videos are a few details about UT3 including confirmation that the game will ship with three to four dozen multiplayer maps. And, if our math is correct, that works out to be around 36 to 48 multiplayer maps on launch day and on the disc! The maps will of course vary in size, player count, etc., but the shear amount of variety should satisfy any Unreal enthusiast. Here's to hoping the "dozens" remarks holds true when the game ships as that would seriously put Shadowrun's nine maps to shame.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gameepic gamesEpicGameEpicGamesoxmunrealunreal tournament 3UnrealTournament3ut3Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/22/crytek-and-epic-games-rev-their-engines/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/22/crytek-and-epic-games-rev-their-engines/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/22/crytek-and-epic-games-rev-their-engines/#commentsFiled under: First Person Shooters, BusinessEpic Games has found a wide audience, from Silicon Knights to Square Enix, with its UnrealEngine3; meanwhile Crytek is looking to find success by licensing out CryEngine2. Both companies also release games highlighting the engines (UnrealTournament and Crysis, respectively).

Next Generation has an article where both Epic Games' Mark Rein and Crytek's Harald Seeley talk about the competitive field of game engines. According to the opening remarks, the article sees Crytek as one of the more promising competitors to the Gears of War developer.

It's an interesting read, but we shouldn't forget one engine that just recently made its first unveiling: id Tech 5. Creator John Carmack promised more information at Min-E3, and we think there's a good chance the House of Doom will add some major heat to all game engines.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cry enginecry engine 2cry tekCryEngineCryEngine2crysisCryTekepicepic gamesEpicGamesunrealunreal engineunreal engine 3UnrealEngineUnrealEngine3Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:28:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/19/gears-of-war-2-not-happening-at-e3/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/19/gears-of-war-2-not-happening-at-e3/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/19/gears-of-war-2-not-happening-at-e3/#commentsIt was rumored, but ultimately the E3 Gears of War sequel announcement was just that ... a rumor. Beyond Unreal contacted Mark Rein about the possibility that a Gears of War sequel would be announced at this year's E3 and his response was somewhere along the lines of no. "We are not announcing a sequel to Gears of War at E3 this year" Rein responded and reinforced their commitment to Gears of War's DLC by stating that "we're still working on the first one".

As fans of the Gears franchise we're more than fine with no new news at E3. Microsoft's E3 spiel will more than likely be about Halo 3 and other third party titles, so Gears news really isn't necessary. So Epic, you just take your time and put together one of the most rockin' Gears of War 2 announcement trailers ever and take comfort in knowing that you have the support of at least one blogger around these parts.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3epicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowTue, 19 Jun 2007 12:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/14/new-gears-of-war-achievements-rundown/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/14/new-gears-of-war-achievements-rundown/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/14/new-gears-of-war-achievements-rundown/#commentsThe Gears of Warauto update rolled out earlier this morning implementing an updated roadie run (third time's the charm), general maintenance and our favorite ... new achievements. The eight new Gears achievements are wrapped up in the newish content all achievable either by playing the Annex gametype or by playing in the new Hidden Fronts maps (which cost 800 Microsoft points, but will be free in September). Our favorites? Based strictly on their names we love the 300 reference in "THIS! IS! ANNEX!", the nubness of "Nub Pwn3r", and "All That Juice" ... because it made us chuckle. But we're sure we'll achieve "You Down With E.P.I.C?" first, because it looks to be the easiest. Complete description of all eight new achievements is viewable after the break. Annex ... here we come.

Major Nelson gives word that Gears of War's upcoming title update will be available at 2:00 AM GMT PDT, June 14th. Technically, that's still today in North American timezones. Either way, the update will have 8 new Achievements with a combined worth of 250 Gamerscore, relating to the Hidden Fronts map pack and the new Annex gametype. It also will refine the Roadie Run (again), and fix some exploits in the multiplayer. If you're dropped Gears for some other titles, will this draw you back in?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Auto UpdateAutoUpdateEpicEpic GamesEpicGamesG o WGearsGears of WarGearsOfWarGOWHidden FrontHidden FrontsHiddenFrontHiddenFrontsTitle UpdateTitleUpdateUpdateWed, 13 Jun 2007 09:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/01/gears-of-war-book-sighted-online/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/01/gears-of-war-book-sighted-online/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/01/gears-of-war-book-sighted-online/#commentsBesides eating and sleeping (and the dreaded "working"), you have to do something between gaming sessions. What better way to utilize this dead space than to read books about video games? If Gears of War is your thing, you're in luck, because It looks like a Gears of War book is in the works. We've found it listed at severalretailers, including Wal-Mart. Assuming the listing is correct, the book is being written by game history guru, Steven Kent, most famous to gamers for his book, The Ultimate History of Video Games. Clocking in at 352 pages, the book is slated for an August release from Del Ray. We're assuming the title, Gears of War 1, is only a placeholder (it had better be).

What say you fanboys, are you in for some light summer reading? You know, explosions, eviscerations, that kind of thing.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gamesepic studiosEpicGamesEpicStudiosgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowmgsmicrosoft game studiosMicrosoftGameStudiosFri, 01 Jun 2007 10:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/30/ut3-shall-be-the-prettiest-of-them-all/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/30/ut3-shall-be-the-prettiest-of-them-all/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/30/ut3-shall-be-the-prettiest-of-them-all/#commentsIn the latest issue of the Official Xbox Magazine Epic discusses everything Unreal Tournament 3 and says that the game will look graphically better than Gears of War. Epic says that the Unreal Engine 3 has been tweaked and improved for use on the 360 since Gears launched and they're taking full advantage of its capabilities. Lead designer Steven Polge's even goes as far as to say that UT3, "it's Gears on crack. Cover is for wimps!". OXM also confirmed the game's vehicle count, talks about the control scheme, and confirmed that UT3 will include four player campaign co-op over Xbox Live. But we're just excited to see how much prettier UT3 can actually get, because Gears already set the bar quite high.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gamesEpicGamesgears of warGearsOfWargowoxmunreal tournament 2007unreal tournament 3UnrealTournament2007UnrealTournament3ut3Wed, 30 May 2007 11:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/30/new-unreal-tournament-3-details/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/30/new-unreal-tournament-3-details/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/30/new-unreal-tournament-3-details/#commentsEpic Games' upcoming Unreal Tournament 3 is getting some extreme hype and we think it might just be qualified. Recently talked up in the last issue of Xbox magazine, lead designer Steven Polge divulged a few details to keep us licking our lips in hushed anticipation. Some additions to the game are as follows:

Four-player co-op and two-player split-screen in the single-player campaign

18 vehicles and five types of turrets

Hoverboards

You read correct. Hoverboards. Like Back to the Future. In any case, some hype was collected for distribution to our minds when Polge said that a large portion of the staff preferred the 360 controls to the mouse and keyboard setup. We call shenanigans, since the speak was in an Xbox magazine and most people who really know FPS's wouldn't trade the mouse and keyboard in for anything (plus the mouse and keyboard is said to be supported for the PS3 version of the game).

Pulge also mentioned improvements made in Unreal Engine 3, talking some smack about that strange Cogs of Battle game or whatever: "[Unreal Tournament 3 is] Gears on crack. Cover is for wimps!" It sure is, Steven Polge. It sure is. Let's hope UT3 turns out to be beautiful as well as having a great personality, so to speak. But does that ever really happen?

A feature story in the latest Official Xbox Magazine has revealed some new details about Epic Games' upcoming UnrealTournament3 as well as some hype-tacular words by lead designer Steven Polge. Additions to the game include:

Four-player co-op and two-player split-screen in the single-player campaign

18 vehicles and five types of turrets

Hoverboards

Polge also made a few claims sure to be cited in any brouhaha concerning the shooter. Referencing the Great Keyboard & Mouse vs. Controller Debate, the designer claimed that UT3's controls are so good that half of the staff prefer the Xbox 360 version.

Also noted were the improvements in Unreal Engine 3, as exemplified by contrasting the game to previous Epic title Gears of War. Polge said that UT3 is "Gears on crack. Cover is for wimps!" You hear that, gamers who bought his company's previous Xbox 360 title? You're a bunch of wimps! (Until Gears of War 2 is announced, of course.)

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gamesEpicGamesPCPS3unrealunreal engineunreal engine 3unreal tournamentUnrealEngineUnrealEngine3UnrealTournamentXbox-360Tue, 29 May 2007 21:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/25/next-gears-update-will-bring-more-achievements/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/25/next-gears-update-will-bring-more-achievements/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/25/next-gears-update-will-bring-more-achievements/#commentsEpic's Mark Rein hopped on the official Gears forums to tell everyone that they are working hard on the next auto update and that they've included a few unexpected goodies. Not only are they tweaking the roadie run as promised, but they are adding some glorious NEW achievements to both the Annex gametype and the Hidden Fronts DLC, taking advantage of the new Gamerscore policy. Rein also goes on to say that the update will take care of random exploits and general housekeeping, but that they do not have a firm release date for the update yet.

Brand new Gears achievements simply rocks! It's something that I have been vocal about and to my surprise is going to happen. Now, for those of us who've earned the Seriously achievement, we can milk Gears for even more Gamerscore points. Dreamy isn't it? It's almost as if the Gears of War angels (Epic Games) have flown down from the heavens and blessed us once again.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievementsepiepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowmark reinMarkReinupdateFri, 25 May 2007 13:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/16/lets-pull-a-gears-of-war-all-nighter/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/16/lets-pull-a-gears-of-war-all-nighter/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/16/lets-pull-a-gears-of-war-all-nighter/#commentsIf you can find the strength to pry yourself away from theHalo 3 beta, we encourage you to pull a gaming all-nighter with our favorite over the shoulder shooter Gears of War. As part of Xbox.com's calendar of events, this Saturday, May 19th is scheduled to be a Gears of Warall night frag fest. So, jump online, kill a few locusts (or COG members), and enjoy your friend's company into the early AM hours. And if you're willing to share your all-nighter story, send the Xbox Live team a brief writeup and a few pictures of you and your friends chillin' for a chance to win a hard bound copy of The Art of Gears of War book. Oh, and if you're feeling generous, have a pizza delivered over to Fanboy Towers. Our appetite increases during early morning gaming sessions.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all nighterAllNighterepicepic gamesEpicGamesgears of warGearsOfWargowxbox liveXboxLiveWed, 16 May 2007 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/14/gears-of-war-golf-not-so-fast/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/14/gears-of-war-golf-not-so-fast/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/14/gears-of-war-golf-not-so-fast/#commentsIf you think the Gears universe and golf go hand in hand, then you're thinking like a true game industry veteran. Because Mark Rein had the same idea when he talked with Edge Magazine and Games Radar has all the dirt. In the interview, Rein tells of a story when Epic's dev team created a Gears based golf game demo to prove to a Korean publisher that the Unreal Engine 3 could be used for other game genres. Gears Golf took roughly a day to make, features a pre-tee off sweep of the course, and uses the grenade tossing mechanic to aim up shots.

But sorry fellow Gears (or golf) fans, because Gears of War Golf was created solely as an internal demo and will not see an actual release. Too bad, because we were excited to see Marcus chainsawing opponents on the green in a rage after going two over par. Now that'd be sweet.

Containing four new maps and a strong allusion to bulletproof codpieces, the "Hidden Fronts" map pack for testosterone explosion simulator, Gears of War, is now available for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace. In exchange for 800 MS points ($10), you'll receive approximately 230 megabytes of data that will automagically congeal on your hard drive and form beautiful, post-apocalyptic environments.

Those less intent on wiping out the Locust horde can wait until September 3rd for the maps to become free of charge.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>EpicEpic GamesEpicGamesGears of WarGearsOfWarMicrosoftMSFTXBLMXbox LiveXbox Live MarketplaceXbox-360XboxLiveXboxLiveMarketplaceThu, 03 May 2007 14:29:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/27/gow-tournaments-you-say-sign-us-up/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/27/gow-tournaments-you-say-sign-us-up/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/27/gow-tournaments-you-say-sign-us-up/#commentsMisurA sent word that all his hard work, dedication, blood, sweat, and coding skills went into his latest online tournament website, Gears of War Tournaments. On the site, you'll be able to partake in various Gears tournaments from 1v1 to 4v4 and be able to manage your team through the super sleek (yet simple) interface. Right now there are a couple hundred players signed up, so the competition should be pretty good. But there aren't any prizes for the tourneys just yet, so it's all about the bragging rights and the community fun. Competition and a legion of Gears players await you at Gears of War Tournaments ... go ahead and give it a whirl.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowtournamentFri, 27 Apr 2007 11:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/26/buying-gears-of-war-achievements-isnt-cheap/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/26/buying-gears-of-war-achievements-isnt-cheap/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/26/buying-gears-of-war-achievements-isnt-cheap/#commentsYesterday, five new Gears of War COG tag location strategy videos were uploaded to the XBLM for your viewing pleasure. But before you make your way to download the videos you should know they'll cost you money. Yes, Brady Games is happy to help you find those COG tags, but is charging 100 Microsoft points per GoW act. Running that through our fanboy calculator, that works out to be exactly 500 Microsoft points ($6.25 US) for five videos.

True, it can be frustrating trying to find the last few tags, but please be strong and do not resort to purchasing these videos. There are plenty of free resources on the internet if you are having trouble locating those darn COG tags. Heck, all the COG tag location information you'll ever need is located here. So, go here, don't buy this, and earn these. Friends helping friends, that's what it's all about.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brady gamesBradyGamesepicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowmarketplacexblmxbox live marketplaceXboxLiveMarketplaceThu, 26 Apr 2007 02:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/25/remove-that-icky-hud-in-gow/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/25/remove-that-icky-hud-in-gow/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/25/remove-that-icky-hud-in-gow/#commentsAspiring Gears of War machinima creators out there will be happy to know that the director's nightmare of a HUD can indeed be removed. How you ask? With a whole bunch of button mashing that's how. Actually, the HUD removal video, button sequence and directions are posted over on crpgchamp's YouTube page under the details section. So now you have the entire screen as your recording real estate, HUD removal just rocks! The only limitation to the whole process is that you'll have to be on Xbox Live (because you can't be host) and you have to be attached to a wall for the full HUD removal effect. Watch the video, take it in, then make the jump to get learned.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowmachinimaWed, 25 Apr 2007 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/19/gow-tourney-delayed-chainsawing-starts-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/19/gow-tourney-delayed-chainsawing-starts-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/19/gow-tourney-delayed-chainsawing-starts-tomorrow/#commentsThe ever so delayed WCG Gears of War global online tournament will be kicking off tomorrow April 20th with an old fashioned leaderboards reset. The Gears online tourney was supposed to start on April 9th, but due to leaderboard reset difficulties they had to push it back a few days. And since the competition is just getting started tomorrow, they are also extending the registration through May 12th with the tournament ending on May 13th. Grease your chainsaw and practice your roadie run, because there are points to be earned and global leaderboards to conquer.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowonline tournamentOnlineTournamenttournamentwcgworld cyber gamesWorldCyberGamesxbox liveXboxLiveThu, 19 Apr 2007 14:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/15/epic-talks-post-update-roadie-run/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/15/epic-talks-post-update-roadie-run/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/15/epic-talks-post-update-roadie-run/#commentsWith the release of the latest Gears of War auto update we mentioned that the roadie run has changed and, in some people's eyes, for the worse. Rod Fergusson, Gears' producer, hopped on Epic's forums to clear up the roadie run rumors and explain how the new system works. According to Fergusson, the new roadie running looks at player's intent and whichever way the movement thumbstick is pointed is where the game will look for cover. Now, when running around an object to the right, it will pull you into cover at the right. He says "that they've tested this method extensively for weeks and really felt that it was a solid improvement" and that they've "received numerous emails and forum posts from people who really like the new system". Right ... Anyway, Rod acknowledged that everyone doesn't like the current roadie run system (really?) and that they will be creating a new version that is based on both the old and new.

But here's a thought. How about just not allow going into cover when roadie running? Then there will be no more unwanted sticking and to get into cover simply release the A button and tap A again ... genius! So, if you don't like the new roadie run system because you keep sticking to everything or even if you've fallen in love with it, change will be coming in the next update. Whenever that occurs ...

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowroadie runRoadieRunSun, 15 Apr 2007 14:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/11/post-update-gears-problems-surface/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/11/post-update-gears-problems-surface/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/11/post-update-gears-problems-surface/#commentsGears of War's latest auto update has been released for a few days now and the overall consensus has been pretty positive. A new gametype, check. More balancing of weapons, check. Sticking to every damn wall and glitching still not fixed, check. Wait ... still sticking to walls and cheaters still able to glitch? Yes, it's true friends, the latest auto update is far from perfect not fixing all our glitching woes and even making one annoyance worse.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto updateAutoUpdateepicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWarglitchesgowupdateWed, 11 Apr 2007 14:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/09/gears-of-war-update-and-annex-coming-tonight/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/09/gears-of-war-update-and-annex-coming-tonight/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/09/gears-of-war-update-and-annex-coming-tonight/#commentsMajor Nelson just posted an update on themuch anticipated Gears of War ... update. True, the auto update was initially slated to be released today and then was later denied, but we just got word that it is now back on for a release later tonight! Major isn't certain of the exact time that the update will be pushed through, but he did post a list of all the new enhancements and features that will be included;

New Annex gametype.

Better VGA cable support.

Assassination gametype leader no longer unlocks weapons, but has to be executed to die.

Boomshot's splash damage increased.

Hammer of Dawn will be more forgiving with moving targets.

Road Run has been tweaked to lesson accidental wall sticking.

Kill message ticker will be available when down and while spectating.

Fixed numerous multiplayer exploits (praise the lord!).

So, we'll be playing the new Annex gametype sometime later this evening and benefit from the other tweaks. We're just hoping that all the glitches and exploits have been fixed and that Annex turns out to be a blast. Anyone up for some Gears of War action later tonight?

Update 1:Gamerscore Blog is reporting that the update will release at 4:00PM pacific. But Major Nelson is reminding everyone that this is a rolling update, which means it could take a few hours for everyone to get it after they make it available. So, be patient.

Update 2: Doh! Epic also released a few new screenshots featuring Annex. Silly us.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto updateAutoUpdateepicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowMon, 09 Apr 2007 16:05:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/09/a-look-at-gows-annex-a-video-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/09/a-look-at-gows-annex-a-video-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/09/a-look-at-gows-annex-a-video-preview/#comments
Even though we didn't get our Gears of War update today, that doesn't mean we can't learn more about the upcoming Annex gametype. Embedded above is a video preview of what Annex will look like, play like, and what HUD changes will be made. From what we gather the HUD information on the top left seems pretty easy to understand and the hill locations are very obvious (colored rings floating above the ground are eye catching). It looks fast, furious and deadly ... we just want to play it already! After watching the video what do you think? Will Annex be a welcome change to the Gears gameplay or will you be sticking to your old favorite?

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>annexepicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowMon, 09 Apr 2007 13:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/09/microsoft-wont-let-new-gow-maps-be-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/09/microsoft-wont-let-new-gow-maps-be-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/09/microsoft-wont-let-new-gow-maps-be-free/#commentsIn a recent 1UP Yours podcast, Epic's own Tim Sweeney and Mark Rein sat down to discuss Gears of War and downloadable content. During the podcast, Sweeney talked about four new multiplayer maps that they have ready to give out, but are butting heads with Microsoft on how to distribute them. Word on the street is that Epic wants to give away the four new Gears maps, but Microsoft wants Epic to charge for them which is ultimately causing a delay. This of course has caused a community uproar, because we just want our free maps. Cue the Microsoft hating.

But just wait one second. Mark Rein posted Epic's response to this whole podcast interview mess and isn't pointing fingers at anyone. He goes on to say that Epic and Microsoft both want to make money and that they feel "the way to maximize the return on Gears of War is to give the maps away for free and Microsoft thinks the way to maximize the return on Gears of War is to sell the maps". So, they just weren't seeing eye to eye. Instead, Epic and Microsoft came to an agreement that they'll be offering all four multiplayer maps for a small fee on the XBLM and a few months later the content will be available for free ... a la Halo 2 maps. Mark Rein further clarifies things by saying that Epic must play by Microsoft's rules when it comes to the XBLM and as a publisher, but says both companies have the best interest of the consumer and their bank accounts. Still need some clarification? Head over to this post where Mark Rein answers the community's concerns and complaints about all this drama. We swear, it's like high school all over again ...

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gamesEpicGamesgears of warGearsOfWargowmarketplacemicrosoftxblmxbox live marketplaceXboxLiveMarketplaceMon, 09 Apr 2007 11:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/05/oops-gears-of-war-update-isnt-coming-april-9th/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/05/oops-gears-of-war-update-isnt-coming-april-9th/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/05/oops-gears-of-war-update-isnt-coming-april-9th/#commentsNevermind what we all know about the Gears of War update's release date, because we may not know what we thought we knew from where we've known it. Why? Because according to 1UP, Microsoft accidentally posted all the juicy update details a little too early and promptly pulled down all the information from Gears of War's official website. A Microsoft rep told 1UP that all the details about Annex are correct, but the April 9th release date isn't set in stone. Actually, they aren't sure when it'll be released due to that lovely certification process we've all come to know and love. So, come Monday don't work yourselves up into a tizzy if the Gears update isn't released, because odds are it won't be. And for the person who was responsible for making up an arbitrary release date and getting our hopes up, we highly recommend giving them the pink slip Microsoft. There's no forgiving them for the pain they have caused.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowupdateThu, 05 Apr 2007 01:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/04/annex-official-word-king-of-the-hill-ish/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/04/annex-official-word-king-of-the-hill-ish/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/04/annex-official-word-king-of-the-hill-ish/#commentsThe official Gears of War website has the full skinny on the upcoming free title update, hitting an Xbox 360 near you on April 9th. The game will play very similar to the Halo series' Team Crazy King gametype, with a 15 second respawn time and unlimited lives. The way Annex works is that a given map will have somewhere between two to five control points, located near key weapon locations on the map. Full details available on gameplay after the break.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AnnexEpicEpic GamesEpicGamesG o WGearsGears of WarGearsOfWarGOWXbox LiveXboxLiveWed, 04 Apr 2007 15:05:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/04/gows-new-annex-gametype-to-feature-respawning/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/04/gows-new-annex-gametype-to-feature-respawning/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/04/gows-new-annex-gametype-to-feature-respawning/#commentsYesterday, on Epic's official Gears of War forums, Cliffy B decided to shake things up a little. On the forums there has been a lot of discussion about the addition of the new Annex gametype and how it'll end up working. So, in one of the Annex threads, Cliffy B came to the rescue by stirring the speculation pot and simply posting a one word answer to what Annex will include, "::respawning::". Yup, that's all Cliffy posted, but it is one post that could change how we think of Gears as it pertains to Annex.

So, let's recap. Annex will probably be a territory or land grab based game and will be the only gametype to include a respawn feature. Anyone excited about the twist on traditional Gears gameplay or do you shun Epic and vow to never play Annex ... ever?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliffy bCliffyBepicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowWed, 04 Apr 2007 11:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/03/behold-a-lone-unreal-tournament-3-screenshot/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/03/behold-a-lone-unreal-tournament-3-screenshot/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/03/behold-a-lone-unreal-tournament-3-screenshot/#commentsToday, we present to you one lonely screenshot from Epic's upcoming game Unreal Tournament 2007 3. And before we go any further, let it be known that we don't want any complaining about the fact that Epic only released one screenshot. It's one screenshot you didn't have yesterday, so this should suffice ... right? Moving on. This game further proves what a graphical powerhouse the Unreal 3 engine really is, because this game looks stunning. Make the jump for the full size screenshot and you'll see what we mean. Everyone at X3F is curious to see if UT3's visuals will equal or surpass what Gears has to offer, though we're on the fence on the issue. What do you think, will UT3 be the cream of the crop when it comes to the best visual spectical on the 360?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gamesEpicGamesunreal tournament 2007unreal tournament 3UnrealTournament2007UnrealTournament3ut3Tue, 03 Apr 2007 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/30/upcoming-gears-update-fixes-glitches-and-adds-gametype/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/30/upcoming-gears-update-fixes-glitches-and-adds-gametype/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/30/upcoming-gears-update-fixes-glitches-and-adds-gametype/#commentsDAKing240 let us know about pretty big news for you gearheads out there: Mark Rein dropped into the Gears of War forums to leave a couple tidbits for fans. The next update for the game is currently in certification and he'll have more news for us next week. What he said this week, though, was very promising. For starters, there will be a bunch of glitches fixed, 720p support for VGA users running 1280X1024 and most importantly, a new gametype. Called Annex, Mark says that he's gotten great feedback so far on the new mode, and can't wait for us to get our hands on it. So, you think this new gametype will coincide with the Global Tournament?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>EpicEpic GamesEpicGamesG o WGearsGears of WarGearsOfWarGOWFri, 30 Mar 2007 17:05:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/29/japanese-gears-viral-vids-are-freaky/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/29/japanese-gears-viral-vids-are-freaky/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/29/japanese-gears-viral-vids-are-freaky/#commentsWe may never understand Microsoft's Japanese marketing. "Do! do! do!" was a stretch, but this is just weird. At first glance, the video above appears to be nothing more than one of those self-promoting, vaguely voyeuristic videos you see on YouTube. If you don't speak Japanese -- and perhaps even if you do -- you would have no way of knowing the video is about Gears of War. "Whaaa?" you say, and we understand. The Japanese schoolgirl stereotype is about as far from Gears of War as is Hello Kitty. Still, it's sort of hypnotizing. Watch the video above (it's actually worth it) and then check out the next video after the break.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic gamesepic studiosEpicGamesEpicStudiosgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowjapanmgsmicrosoft game studiosMicrosoftGameStudiosThu, 29 Mar 2007 11:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/23/buy-a-premium-360-from-dell-get-gow-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/23/buy-a-premium-360-from-dell-get-gow-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/23/buy-a-premium-360-from-dell-get-gow-free/#commentsSo N'Gai Croal says that the 360's software isn't causing more people to purchase 360s. Now is the chance to prove him wrong, thanks to a nice offer from Dell. If you've been waiting for a good reason to pick up an Xbox 360 (Premium, of course), how does a free copy of Gears of War sound? Sounds pretty good, right? Well then head on over to Dell and you can pick up an Xbox 360 Premium and a copy of Gears for the reasonable price of $399. Not too shabby, if you ask us (which you didn't, but just pretend, okay?). Even if you have one, you could always use another. You know, so you'll have one for the parlor. People still have parlors, right? Alternately, you could buy it as an early Easter present. Just stick it in a basket with some neon green plastic grass and you're done.

If your interested, you'd better hurry, because Gears is only included in the bundle while supplies last.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bargainsdeal and bargainsDealAndBargainsdealsdellepicepic gamesEpicGamesgears of warGearsOfWargowmgsmicrosoft game studiosMicrosoftGameStudiosFri, 23 Mar 2007 11:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/22/cliffyb-will-executive-producer-gears-of-war-film/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/22/cliffyb-will-executive-producer-gears-of-war-film/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/22/cliffyb-will-executive-producer-gears-of-war-film/#commentsFiled under: Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters, BusinessGears of War creator CliffyB will serve as an executive producer to the film adaptation, according to Mark Rein, Vice President of Epic Games. Speaking to Game Invasion at Midway's Gamer Day, Rein also explained that it was Jay Wilbur, the other Epic Game VP, who worked with Creative Artists Agency to negotiate the deal.

Having the creator of the franchise in such a prominent position is sure to satiate purists to the game, but so far we have seen only minimal plot that could not be stretched to a feature length. And CliffyB's production role may not give him too much influence, for better or worse -- after serving as executive producer for the latest film adaptation of his work, Frank Miller has decided to serve as director on his roles from now on.

No director has been announced, but the treatment was done by Stuart Beattie, scribe of Collateral, which bodes well. New Line won the rights to create the film, but we're still hesitant to call it will still come to fruition or fall through the cracks like Halo did.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliffy bCliffyBepicepic gamesEpicGamesgears of warGearsOfWarmark reinMarkReinnew lineNewLinereinXbox-360Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/22/post-release-gow-interview-with-the-bleszinski-bros/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/22/post-release-gow-interview-with-the-bleszinski-bros/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/22/post-release-gow-interview-with-the-bleszinski-bros/#commentsIf you're like us, you can never get too much Gears of War coverage or too many Cliffy B interviews. The other day Gearheads of War founder Tyler Bleszinski interviewed his brother Cliff after their recent Friday Night FragFest. Tyler asks some of the typical questions about the Gears universe and the game's success, but gets other information from Cliffy we haven't heard before. Cliffy discusses the cliche sci-fi storyline, delves into what his favorite maps and weapons are (Fuel Depot and the torque bow), but still refuses to confirm a sequel or a time frame for when new content will be released. He's kind of like a clam that just won't open even though we know he's holding a pretty pearl inside. Just crack already! Overall, it's a darn good interview with dashes of brotherly love sprinkled throughout ... check it out.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cliff BleszinskiCliffBleszinskicliffy bCliffyBepicepic gamesEpicGamesgearsgears of warGearsOfWargowThu, 22 Mar 2007 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/22/gow-tournament-shut-down-by-diaper-gamer/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/22/gow-tournament-shut-down-by-diaper-gamer/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/22/gow-tournament-shut-down-by-diaper-gamer/#commentsFirst, a word of caution. If you are at all uneasy about diapers and their contents then this blog post may not be for you. In Fort Collins a group of gamers organized an underground Gears of War tournament at a nearby warehouse for over 60 gamers. Among the tournament's participants was a 16 year old kid who was wearing a ... diaper. The diaper clad teenager wore his protection in case of an emergency and didn't really think he'd have to soil himself, that is until he downed five energy drinks. You see, the 16 year old (being the hardcore gamer he is) decided to use his emergency diaper and soon after other participants complained about a "septic tank like smell" coming from the kid. The event's security promptly removed him due to his foul odor. The story doesn't end there as our diaper wearing gamer then called the police to complain about his ejection from the tournament and how he was unfairly treated. The police showed up knowing full well the event was an illegal paid tournament, shut down the event, and fined the event coordinators.

Whether this story is true or not, we still can't get the image of a 16 year old diaper wearing gamer out of our head. Who'd knowingly mess their pants in the name of gaming? Something tells us neither this kid or his diaper will be invited to the next Gears tournament.